Wall Street is betting against you.

Institutional investors, high-frequency trading bots, and the financial media all thrive on your anxiety. They want you to react. They need you to buy when you feel greedy and sell when you feel scared. That is how the "herd" operates, and that is exactly why most retail investors fail to beat the market.

But there is one strategy that beats the herd every single time. It isn't flashy, and it certainly isn't exciting.

It is discipline.

The "Business Perspective" Strategy

In her analysis of Warren Buffett’s methodology, Mary Buffett highlights a critical distinction: most people buy stocks, but Warren buys businesses.

This is technically called "business perspective investing," but let's keep it simple. It boils down to ignoring the squiggly lines on a price chart and looking at the company itself.

Forget the daily news tips. Forget the technical analysis. When you look at a company, ask yourself the same questions a business owner would ask. Does this company have a "consumer monopoly"?

Think about Apple or Costco. These companies have predictable earnings and loyal customers who aren't going anywhere. Buffett doesn't gamble on unproven tech; he waits for a sound business with a mathematical certainty of growth, and then he buys it like he is buying the whole company.

The Christmas Lesson

There is a wonderful story Mary Buffett shares about her time in the family. For years, Warren stopped giving cash or toys for Christmas. Instead, he gave envelope containing stock.

This wasn't just a financial gift; it was a psychological lesson.

The family started paying attention to the companies they now "owned." When you see a dividend check arrive in the mail or read an annual report for a company you own, your mindset shifts. You stop treating the market like a casino and start treating it like a wealth-building partner.

The Art of Doing Nothing

Here is the hardest part for most of us: once you buy a great business, you have to let it work.

Buffett’s goal is to let compounding (interest growing on top of interest) run for as long as possible. Sure, you could sell a stock after it jumps 20% for a "handsome profit." But the wealthy investor is looking for an "outrageous profit" that only comes from holding a great company for decades.

Wall Street panics when the market plunges. The disciplined investor sees a sale.

Wall Street gets euphoric when the market soars. The disciplined investor stays cool.

Your Checklist for the Week

If you want to move from a frantic trader to a wealthy investor, look at your portfolio today and ask:

Wealth isn't made in the buying and selling. It is made in the waiting. ✨

I’d love to hear from you.

What is one stock you own that you would be comfortable holding for the next 20 years, no matter what the market does? Reply and let me know.

Stay patient,